Vicious Circle
by BlackenedQuill
Summary: During a dare, Bella calls her cell number using her own cell and surprisingly 'Bella' picks up. Believing it to be a weird prank, she hangs up. She shakes off the whole bizarre encounter until she cracks and calls again. Now she's got 24 hours to change the future or something terrible is going to happen. Paradox/ParallelUniverse


So I came across a reading prompt. This was born. This story is complete and will not be continued (as of now) I have too much on my plate to continue it or expand it.

This story is also published on my Wattpad site as an original story with my own characters.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy.

Warnings: Strong Language.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

* * *

"If a coin comes down heads, that means that the possibility of its coming down tails has collapsed. Until that moment the two possibilities were equal.  
But on another world, it does come down tails. And when that happens, the two worlds split apart."  
―Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass

* * *

Bella is standing on a roof, panting, stumbling and trying not to fall, screaming at the window.

"Alice!"

She screams and screams and screams till her voice cracks, raw.

The other girl turns to her in the window, eyes widening. Bella screams again.

"GET OUT!'

…

**4 Days Earlier**

"Holy Shit, I cannot believe you just did that!" Rosalie cries between giggles.

Jessica falls back on the bed, still red from her texting, before she starts laughing too in her drunken haze.

"The things I do for love," she says.

"Still though, you're lucky he's totally into you," I say.

"Yeah, no shit," she says, her voice breathy before she suddenly sits up and groans. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Gross. The vision of Jessica puking on my bed is something I'd rather do without.

"Get to the bathroom, I don't want to clean up your vomit all over my sheets," I say frowning.

She stands and stumbles out of my room and runs to the bathroom.

"Well, now that that's done," Lauren says clapping her hands, "I do believe it's your turn, Bella," she says nodding to me.

Great. Can't wait.

Lauren bites her lip, her face scrunches up as she's think of my dare, because we decided to chop the truth bit off.

"Ooh, I got it!" She exclaims her eyes widening with enthusiasm. "I dare you to call Edward Cullen and tell him you have a crush on him."

"Seriously, that's the best you can come up with? Jessica just did that to Mike," I say sneering some. "Boring."

She rolls her eyes at me.

"Fine then," she says pointing her obtusely large nose in the air. "I dare you to call your cell," she continues. That's even more stupid than the first dare. "Using your cell phone."

What?

"That doesn't make any sense Lauren," I say shaking my head. "It'll just call my voicemail."

"Maybe or maybe not," she says grinning at me. "Just do it."

Jessica throws the door open and falls down beside me.

"What did I miss?" She slurs.

Not much. I barely stop myself from snickering.

"Apparently I have to call my cell, using my cell" I say in a bored tone.

Jessica looks at me confused.

"But it'll just go to voicemail," she says before burping.

"Real attractive," Lauren sneers. "For the love of god, just do it."

God this is the stupidest dare ever. But I pick up my phone and dial my number anyways. It starts to ring.

And ring.

And ring.

"I told you this was-

"Hello?"

I nearly drop the goddamn phone. A distinct female voice on the other line keeps saying hello.

"Who the hell is this?" I finally demand. My voice sounds way more confident than I actually feel. I'm terrified, my palms are sweaty and little hairs on my neck stand.

"Well who the hell are you?" The girl bites back.

I can't speak. I'm too stunned, too terrified and adrenaline rushes through me. Rosalie, Lauren, and Jessica are completely white. 'Who is it?' Rosalie mouths to me. The fuck if I know!

"Just, um," I start, stumbling over my words like an idiot. Taking a breath I try to speak more calmly. "Just tell me who this is."

The girl on the other line is silent, but her breaths are loud. She sounds just as freaked out as me.

"It's Bella, Bella Swan."

…

**Two Days Earlier**

Someone had to be fucking with me. Obviously. Just a stupid prank. Rosalie, Lauren, and Jessica seemed to be just as scared as me though. They swore they had nothing to do with it. This 'Bella' person was clearly someone who just wanted to scare me. Because otherwise, well, there is no otherwise.

Regardless, I hadn't slept more than five hours combined since then.

Toying with my phone, I stare at it. Jesus Christ, it's not as if the other girl is going to answer again! But the phone is mocking me. What if she does? What if… Stop. I need to stop.

I toss my phone to the side, turning it over.

…

**Three Days Earlier**

My curiosity is getting the best of me. I want to know, I have to know. Adrenaline spikes as I pick up my phone. Just dial it and get it over with. It'll go to voicemail and then this will be over.

I dial my number.

Ring. My breathing accelerates.

Ring. Hands are starting to shake.

Ring. Jesus Christ. My chest tightens.

Ring. For the love of God just answe-

"Hello?" The girl's voice is small, unsure.

Silence. I try to answer but I can't. My throat feels like it's closing.

"Bella?" She whispers.

Holy fuck.

Holy FUCK.

"Y-yes," I mumble. "How is this possible?" I ask.

Silence.

"I don't know," she finally says. "I honestly have no idea."

We both are silent now. She sounds like me, but different. I guess because I'm not used to hearing myself, but the similarity is there.

"Prove it," I spit. "Prove you're Bella," I say, my voice cold.

She chuckles in a nervous way.

"Like how?" She asks. "What do you want to know?"

Her words bite at me. And I mewl them over. How? How can she prove it?

"Just tell me something that only I would know," I say.

She's quiet again.

"On my tenth birthday party, I accidentally wet myself," she says.

Jesus Christ, not even my parents know about that. I'm stunned. No one, and I mean no one, knows about that. It's my most embarrassing moment. Thankfully I had changed my clothes before anyone could find me.

"Holy shit," I breathe.

"Yeah, Holy shit," she says. "I can only imagine what Alice would have said."

Alice? As in my twin sister? It's weird her bringing our sister up, it's not as if Alice and I actually talk. Alice is weird, a complete loner. She always has her face in a book, and prefers it that way.

"Well, it's not as if I'm about to tell her," I sneer. "She'd probably just try to get me carted off to a mental institution."

Silence again. Her breathing is harder though.

"Bella," her voice is quivering. "What's the date?"

Weird question.

"November fourth. Why?" I ask.

She gasps and I hear rustling.

"Year," She's frantic, her voice strains.

"2017," I answer. "Why are you asking about the date?"

"Bella, I need you to listen," She says, her voice is desperate, panicked. "You have to keep Alice home tomorrow!"

The hell?

"Why? What's going-

"Just keep her home!" She yells at me. "I'm serious Bella, You have to keep her home!"

The girl starts crying. What the hell is going to happen to Alice?

"What happens tomorrow Bella?" I whisper.

She cries softly for a minute longer and my heart beats wildly in my chest.

"She dies."

…

**Twelve Hours Earlier.**

I'm standing in front of Alice's door. Soft music plays on the other end. It sounds dark and beautiful. Ironic. Foreshadowing. The universe is fucking with me. Sure enough other 'Bella' is right so far about today. She said it would storm. The forecast said it would be sunny.

The forecast was wrong.

Thunder shakes our house and rain pelts down on the windows. I'm scared out of my fucking mind.

Slowly I raise my hand and take a deep breath. Just do it. You used to this with her all the time. Maybe she'll want to watch Netflix.

God I'm stupid. Why on earth would she want to spend a night with me? After making it my personal mission to make her life hell at school? Hell, I'd tell myself to fuck off.

But fuck, she's going to die in this storm if I don't!

So I knock. Twice.

Slowly she opens the door, her dark hair is falling in her face some. Her eyes are cold.

"What?" She spits at me.

Shit. How do I do this? How do I get her to actually stay home with me?

"I uh," I mumble. "I was just wondering," I continue and her eyes narrow even more. "It's been a while since we hung out," I say looking down. "So would you like to, uh, hangout and watch Netflix, or uh something?" I offer lamely.

Well, that was eloquent. She just stares at me as if I've grown two heads.

"Hang out," She repeats. "You want to 'hang out'" she asks.

Shit. There's no way she's going to say yes.

"Yeah," I say trying to smile, though I'm pretty sure it comes off like I'm a mental person.

She just stares at me. Her expression looks less than impressed.

"Yeah, I think I'll pass," she says before slamming the door in my face.

Fuck.

…

**Eight Hours Earlier**

I'm pacing my room. At least she's still here. Other 'Bella' claimed she was already heading to her friend's house by now. Maybe things are different in my timeline, or universe. Parallel Universe bullshit. I have a throbbing in my head that won't just stop. Every noise makes me jump. I keep opening my door and looking out my window at her car to make sure she's still home.

Jessica texts me asking if I want to go to the movies. I ignore her.

Picking up my phone I dial 'Bella.'

Ring.

"You have no new voicemails-

Fuck! Of course this shit would happen to me! Goddamn it! Wanting to scream, I throw my phone across the room and immediately fall to my knees and cry. Now that I've started, I can't seem to stop. My chest hurts from sobbing.

Suddenly I hear Alice's door open and footsteps across the hall.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Jumping to my feet, I throw open my door.

"Wait!" I yell as I run up to her and grab her arm.

"Jesus Christ Bella," She huffs, shrugging me off her. "What the fuck is with you today?"

I open my mouth. Nothing comes out. I'm just staring at her. Her eyes regard me coolly, her stance is rigid, arms crossed across her chest, and I'm slammed with everything I've ever done to her. The bullying, name calling and lying. In essence, I've taken every good thing, every innocent and beautiful thing and destroyed it. And for what? My own popularity? My own self-esteem? My own wretched self-loathing?

I hate myself.

"Please," I plead and her eyes soften a bit. "Just please stay home."

She shifts awkwardly. I feel like I can't breathe.

"Yeah," she mumbles. "Whatever," she finishes and turns, slowly walking back to her room and shuts the door.

I nearly collapse.

Thank god! Oh thank god!

Relief fills me as I stumble back to my room.

…

**Three Hours Earlier.**

My door slowly opens. Alice's head pokes in. Sitting up on my bed, I look at her. She looks nervous. I hate that.

"So, can I come in?" She finally asks.

"Yeah," I say quietly.

She walks in and casually goes to my desk, toying with my bottle of perfume. She's hunched over slightly.

"So are you and Edward like a thing?" She asks.

What? Two years of fighting and my bitchiness and that's what she says?

"Uh, no, not really," I say lamely. "We're just talking."

"Cool," she says putting her hands in her pockets.

Her jeans are baggy and her flannel shirt does nothing for her figure. Four days ago I would have called her a dyke. Self disgust wells up inside of me.

"So, are you like seeing anyone?" I ask awkwardly.

She laughs. It's filled with resentment and incredulity. Like I've just asked the stupidest question on the planet.

"No," she finally says tonelessly.

I don't say anything.

"What happened to us?" She asks.

The question hangs in the air. The silence further divides us. Memories of us giggling, running hand in hand at the playground, flashlight under covers and midnight raids of the cookie dough in the fridge slam into me.

"I turned into a bitch," I finally say.

…

**Two Hours Earlier.**

It's like my sister is a completely different person. Her talking about composing and art and I feel like I'm the vapid, brainless bitch I am. My own hollowness is unavoidable. Alice is amazing. How could I not see that?

"You're so going to get this scholarship," I say as I flip through her sketchbook. Image after image, dark, twisted and beautiful invades my vision. Her precision to detail, her design the way she breathed life into the pages of this book in my hands overwhelms me.

"I hope so," she murmurs. "God, it's been so long since we've done this," she says falling backwards on my bed.

Hair dark hair is splayed across my sheets, her eyes are closed and she looks at peace.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. She looks at me. "I'm sorry," I repeat again. My cheeks heat up, my eyes feel scratchy. I'm going to cry. "I don't know why- I just, I just-

I can't finish. Shame fills me. She's my sister and I hurt her. I took her trust and destroyed it. There's no excuse. I feel her hand grab mine. It feels soft and she squeezes it lightly.

She doesn't say anything.

She doesn't need to.

…

**Thirty Minutes Before**

Something harsh invades my lungs. It hurts. Blinking my eyes, the room looks foggy. What the fuck…

I hear shouting and sirens. Falling out of my bed, I realize the damn house is on fire. Coughing I look over, Alice isn't in here. We must have fallen asleep I think numbly. Crawling to my door I somehow get it open.

"Alice!" I scream.

No answer.

"Alice!"

Still no answer. Orange and black invade my vision. I can barely see. Somehow I make it to Alice's room, but the door is open and she's not in there. Maybe she got out. Suddenly I see a figure in front of me, and I'm being picked up. There's yelling as he carries me down stairs.

Everything is up in smoke. It's a gruesome and twisting scene.

"My sis-

"Shh," the man says.

He carries me to the ambulance, people are trying to talk to me and put something over my face. A woman says something and tries to grab my hand. I fight her off and run to my neighbors house. There's a ladder and I climb it to the roof. My lungs are hurting and my body feels hot. I feel like I could pass out. Alice. I have make sure Alice is out of the damn house.

Crawling onto the roof, I stand facing my window.

"Alice!"

I scream and scream and scream till my voice cracks, raw from smoke.

Suddenly Alice appears in my window and terror slams into me. She faces me, her eyes widening. I scream again.

"GET OUT!'

She's pounding on the window. I hear people screaming below me.

"She's still in the house!" Someone screams.

"Alice!" I scream.

Men go rushing in. Every awful thing I've ever said twists and mocks me in my head. Her blue eyes are filled with fear, she's crying and pounding on the window. Flames engulf my room behind her.

"Please, please please," I pant, sobbing.

She looks at me, her mouth open in a scream.

_Please_.

The roof caves in.

* * *

Don't kill me. Please.

Anyways, please let me know what you think!


End file.
